Description
Two days after the end of "Spring Basketball," a new chapter opened.
The KBL announced on Tuesday 46 players who acquired free agent (FA) status. As KCC in Busan topped the list with the best players in the 2023-2024 season, demand for FA players increased. With big fish in the market, competition for recruitment was on fire.
The FA most coveted by each club are Kang Sang-jae (200cm) and Kim Jong-kyu (207cm), the tall duo who also led Wonju DB to win the regular league.
Kang is in the spotlight as a big man who not only has excellent ball handling skills but also can perform fast. He has recorded career-high performance (14 points, 6.3 rebounds) to the point where he contested the MVP with his teammate Ethan Albano just before the FA. Kim Jong-kyu is also expecting a second FA contract as he played his role both inside and outside.
While DB, the original team, has expressed its will to continue accompanying the two players, the destination is expected to be determined by the rest of the team's bets. Teams with weak under-the-basket resources are already openly eyeing the two players.
Jung Hee-jae and Choi Seung-wook, two big men who played defense for foreign players at Changwon LG, are also popular. Jonghyun Lee, who signed a one-year contract with Anyang's chief of staff to rejoin the FA, is also worthy of being a big man.
Lee Jae-do, who led the Changwon LG Twins in second place for two consecutive seasons, and Park Ji-hoon, who has grown to be the best guard at Jeonggwanjang, are in the spotlight as the commander of the court. Lee Jae-do boasts of high efficiency, scoring an average of 11 points per game despite short playing time (average of 25 minutes). Park is excellent at various attacks (average of 12.1 points) that are derived from aggressive breakthrough plays.
An unexpected big fish has also appeared. Lee Dae-sung (Mikawa), a former national team player who left for Japan, requested the KBL to disclose FA information.
Lee Dae-sung entered Japan's B-League for a new challenge last year, and returned to Korea after a year. Lee Dae-sung played fairly well with an average of 7.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in Mikawa in the B-League. He is the ace who boasted the most points as a Korean player in the previous two consecutive seasons (average of 18.1 points in the 2022-2023 season and 17 points in the 2021-2022 season).
When Lee left Japan, his team, Daegu Korea Gas Corporation, gave up the right to renew the contract for consideration, so unlike other FA big fish players, Lee does not need compensation for his recruitment. In fact, multiple clubs who were attracted to this part reportedly contacted Lee.
According to the KBL, FA players ranking within 30th in overall compensation will be paid 50 percent of the previous season's compensation, and one compensation player will be paid 200 percent of the previous season's compensation. Those ranking 31st to 40th are required to pay 100 percent of the previous season's compensation, and those ranking 41st to 50th are required to pay 50 percent of the compensation.
BY: 토토사이트